What was the constitutional basis for overturning the Virgina statute in Loving v. Virginia?
In Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court overturned the Virginia statute that banned interracial marriage on the basis that it violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The Equal Protection Clause, found in the Fourteenth Amendment, guarantees that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The Court held that the Virginia statute, which specifically targeted and prohibited interracial marriages, violated this clause as it treated individuals differently based on their race.
Furthermore, the Court invoked the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that no state shall "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." The Court argued that the freedom to marry is a fundamental right protected by the Due Process Clause, and the Virginia statute violated this right by restricting it solely based on racial classifications.
The Court's decision in Loving v. Virginia established that laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional, setting a precedent for future cases involving racial discrimination and affirming the principles of equality and due process under the Constitution.